Connect with us

Football

Steelers injury updates for Joey Porter Jr., Ben Skowronek after Week 16

Not only did the Pittsburgh Steelers lose their Week 16 game against the Baltimore Ravens halted the Steelers’ chances of clinching the division on Saturday, they also saw yet another member of their secondary come down with an injury.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. got banged-up in the first quarter of the contest but was able to return in the second half. After trying to give it a go in the third quarter, the second-year cornerback was forced from the game for good.

Following the 34-17 loss to Baltimore, head coach Mike Tomlin revealed that Porter Jr. has a knee injury, but he didn’t go into more specifics aside from that.

He added that wide receiver Ben Skowronek, who got more run with wideout George Pickens sidelined again before leaving early, has a hip injury.

Joey Porter Jr. injury update

“Joey Porter had a knee injury, don’t have a lot of details there,” Tomlin said, per Steelers.com. “He wasn’t able to finish and Ben Skowronek had a hip injury. He wasn’t able to finish, as well. I’m sure I’ll meet with you guys tomorrow and we’ll have more details about some of that.”

It should be noted that the Steelers announced that Porter Jr. had a calf injury during the game. Perhaps Tomlin misspoke, but that hasn’t been confirmed.

Ahead of the Week 16 contest, the Steelers ruled out both cornerback Donte Jackson and safety DeShon Elliott, with the defenders dealing with back and hamstring injuries, respectively. Elliott didn’t play in Week 15, either.

The Steelers’ shorthanded secondary was exposed without its best players. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson threw for 207 yards and three touchdowns, with the latter mark being a new personal best for him.

Baltimore’s run game was a major problem, also. Running back Derrick Henry exploded for 162 yards on 6.8 yards per carry and was the true engine of the Ravens’ offense.

His 162 rushing yards were a Ravens franchise record for a single game against the Steelers, a team that entered the week with the No. 4 run defense in the NFL.

The Steelers will have yet another quick turnaround in Week 17, with Pittsburgh meeting the Kansas City Chiefs on Wednesday. That’s bad news for Pittsburgh’s wounded.

Now, the AFC North is up for grabs after the Steelers failed to clinch on Saturday. Both teams sport a 10-5 record and it looks like the division will come down to the wire.

MORE PITTSBURGH STEELERS NEWS

AFC North standings: What Steelers loss to Ravens means for division

Latest injury update on Steelers WR George Pickens

Steelers predicted to land 69-TD quarterback as future Russell Wilson replacement

Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Must See

More in Football